South East England Development Agency (SEEDA)

Minister announces SEEDA funds for sustainable college

Release date: 29 July 2009

Rosie Winterton MP, Minister for Regional Economic Development, today welcomed a £5.2m boost for Sussex Coast College Hastings's new facilities from the South East England Development Agency (SEEDA).

The £95m college, with two campuses currently under construction, will provide state of the art educational opportunities to over 2000 students a year. The facilities will ensure that students acquire the necessary skills and qualifications to help future career aspirations and also to benefit local businesses and industry. The two sites are at Station Plaza in Hastings town centre and nearby Ore , just over a mile away.
 
The £5.2m was awarded to ensure the flagship college is equipped as a centre of excellence, allowing its iconic buildings to house cutting edge educational resources at both campuses. It will also allow for a fibre optic link between the two campuses to enable integrated learning across the sites and reduce energy on transport.  The campuses are also linked by railway, promoting sustainable travel.
 
The investment also enables the college to create sustainable buildings, which will achieve a Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method (BREEAM) ‘excellent' rating, awarded to buildings which meet or exceed guidelines for sustainability. The new college will incorporate rainwater recycling, a biomass boiler, solar thermal heating for hot water and a ground source heat pump.
 
Pam Alexander, SEEDA Chief Executive and Chair of the Hastings & Bexhill Task Force, said: “The new college is a vital part of our investment in the economic development of the Hastings area. These will be state of the art facilities where students can acquire the skills and qualifications they need, both for their personal success and to the benefit of local businesses. These facilities will have low carbon emissions, contributing more than just education to a sustainable future”.

Visiting Hastings, Rosie Winterton, said: “This is a great example of where SEEDA and its local partners have come together, looked at local needs and made the kind of strategic investment that will help people and businesses in the region. Developments like this new college will ensure that the region has the skills, education and businesses to thrive both now, and in the future.”

Sue Middlehurst, Principal of Sussex Coast College Hastings added: “We're delighted as sustainability is at the heart of the ethos of the college and this funding demonstrates SEEDA's confidence in the College's contribution to the regeneration of Hastings ”.

For more information, please contact:
Abigail Gilbert
Tel: 01424 723141
Email: abigailgilbert@seeda.co.uk

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